Patience
by mormolyce
Summary: Past!Kya/Lin. K for now, will probably creep higher by the time it's finished.
1. Chapter 1

"Lin you know this doesn't count."

"I'm out of the station aren't I?" snapped Lin, not looking up from the pile of reports on the kitchen table.

"Doing your reports at home does _not _count as 'taking the evening off'."

Lin ignored her, and Kya sighed in frustration. She'd come back to Republic City just six months after Tenzin and Pema's wedding to act as midwife in the birth of her niece, which judging from the time constraints she was expecting to be a tragic affair. Much to Kya's surprise, Jinora's birth had not been painfully premature; in fact, Jinora had appeared to be a little late, judging from her size. Then, when it became apparent Pema had been pregnant long before the wedding, or else Jinora was some kind of miracle child, she had gone to her mother. She suspected Katara had known about Pema's pregnancy since before the wedding, but had kept quiet for Tenzin's sake. Now of course, Jinora's birth was being celebrated across the city, and Tenzin had urged Kya to visit the one person who would be inevitably reeling from the celebrations. She'd complied more for Lin's sake than that of her brother, and even then it was only after seeing Lin by chance at City Hall, after she'd been forced to attend one of Tenzin's god-awful Council meetings. She'd looked such a state Kya had gone over to her right there.

"Fine. If you're going to be like this then I guess I can't stop you."

She sat down on the chair opposite Lin. To be honest, it was a miracle the metal bender had listened to her advice at all, but then she did have the leverage of being one of the world's foremost healers. Even Lin couldn't argue with that. Glancing around the room, Kya took note of just how spartan it was. Not only that, but, like the rest of Lin's house, it surprisingly small. On her payroll Lin could probably afford somewhere far more up-market, and in a much nicer neighbourhood. Not that here was anything wrong with where she lived at the moment, but, it just didn't seem to quite fit the esteem that being one of the City's leading officials demanded.

Kya drew her attention back to Lin as she flipped the page she had just finished scrawling on from one pile to the other. The policewoman still looked dreadful. She had clearly not been sleeping, but on top of that she'd obviously lost a lot of weight too - there was a solid inch between the collar of her armour and her neck. When Kya had seen her at the wedding she honestly hadn't looked too bad - considering her partner of over a decade was marrying someone else within just two months of ending their relationship - but the water bender assumed that with Jinora's birth only six months after that, the inescapable conclusion had hit Lin like a ton of bricks. It was no wonder she was against Kya's interference; this total dedication to her work was probably the only thing keeping her afloat.

"Have you had anything to eat?" she inquired.

A muted grunt was all she got in reply.

"Have you?"

"Yes."

"When?"

Silence.

"Well," she said brightly. "How about I make you something now?"

More silence.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She got up and began rummaging through the cupboards. Finding nothing but plates, she poked her nose into the fridge - it contained a pint of week-old milk and a pack of beer. Kya frowned and turn back to the woman at the table.

"Lin this is ridiculous. Have you got any food in at all?"

"Sure I have," she peered round from her seat to look in the fridge. "I've got, uh-"

"Yes?"

"Look it doesn't matter. I never cook and I get all my meals at the station for free anyway," came the hasty reply as Lin turned back to her papers.

"It does matter Lin. You've looked terrible these past few months and- "

"Oh great, thanks."

"Look, we're just worried about you okay?"

"Oh? And who does 'we' compromise of exactly?"

Kya stuttered and closed the fridge.

"Well, um, I'm sure Toph-"

"Mum left the week after the marriage to go live with a stupid badgermole colony," Lin spat, angrily flipping over another page and putting on to the pile next to her. "Guess again."

"Katara's worried about you."

"Yes, I'm sure with her granddaughter and training the new avatar she's very concerned with _my_ health. Not to mention I know she went back to the South Pole yesterday without visiting, so don't even try that one."

Kya sucked in her cheeks; she knew exactly the corner Lin was trying to force her into.

"And um, well, Tenzin's been worried too."

Lin looked up from her notes, her composure almost slipping as she desperately tried to cover-up her obvious emotion with the bitter retort she felt Kya deserved.

"Ha! Oh yes, I'm sure your dear brother is far too busy with his new lady wife to think about me. Or does the fact they've been shagging for nine months mean it's considered a standard practice for him now days?"

The water bender winced and backed-up against the kitchen counter, trying to get out of collateral-damage range before Lin blew.

"Lin, we, we all agree what my brother did to you wasn't fair, just-"

"Fair!?" screeched Lin, standing up and knocking her chair back entirely. "Is that all you've got to say to me!? You have no idea what your brother put me through. 'Oh hi Lin I've been seeing one of the air acolytes for the past month so um guess we can't see each other anymore and, by the way, me and her are getting married next month so here's your invitation.' And all you can say is it wasn't _fair_!? Don't patronise me."

Lin stopped to catch her breath, fists still on the table where she had slammed them after her mock-Tenzin impression. To Lin's amazement, Kya did not shout back. Nor did she turn and flee as any sensible person would. Instead, all she did was meet Lin's glare with a small, sad smile, before calmly make her way back to the seat opposite. This reaction - or lack of - caught Lin of guard completely, and as her mind back-tracked, she felt a hot flush embarrassment creeping up on her. She bent down and snatched the chair off the floor, rearranging herself and sitting back down, before grabbing the pen off the desk where she left it.

"Lin," said Kya softly.

The metal bender began scrawling over the sheets again, head bowed.

"Lin."

The pen rushed over the paper as she struggled to maintain legible handwriting.

"Lin, it's okay."

Still no reply.

Kya reached out a put her hand over Lin's steadying it until it she stopped writing.

Lin lifted her head and buried it in her free hand, leaning on her elbows. She did not, however, pull away from Kya's grasp.

"It's pathetic," she whispered.

"No, it's not. Of course it's not, what on earth would give you that idea?"

"Oh I don't know," said Lin, pulling her hand from her face, revealing the tiny tears which had been pricking at the corner of her eyes. "A grown woman crying over something like this? A grown woman, with a career, and respect, crying over the decision of some stupid little man?"

Kya grinned. At least Lin's sarcasm would make it through this.

"You know," she glanced over at the incomplete report on the top of the pile. "I don't think that uh-" She squinted at the page. "Gin-Lee would think you're pathetic."

Lin snorted.

"I wasn't even the one to bring him in."

"Yes well," said Kya, patting Lin's hand as she stood up. "It was your training that got him captured, wasn't it?"

She turned to leave, but Lin reached up and took hold of her hand, tugging her back.

"Look, I'm, I'm sorry for shouting at you. It's just, it's been-"

She sighed and pulled her hand off of Kya's, relinquishing the vice-like grip.

"It's been rough," she finally conceded.

Kya gave Lin an appreciative smile.

"Don't mention it."

* * *

><p>"There's a parcel for you Chief!"<p>

Lin looked up from her work, having refused to open the door, despite the tentative knocking of the boy on desk duty.

"Has it gone through security?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Fine. Bring it in then."

Lin shuffled the papers to one side as the officer gingerly opened the door and walked to her. He shoved the parcel out in front of him, and Lin took it suspiciously. She fumbled with the brown string until she found the label, and glanced up at the fidgety officer in front of her, who was staring down at the package, a slight blush on his face.

"Is there a reason you're still here?"

"N-no ma'am!"

Lin frowned at his back as he departed from the room - she could've sworn she heard him stifle a laugh. Her lips set in a thin line, before she turned her attention back to the label.

_Hope this helps!_

_Kya xxx_

_PS. I'm back in Republic City for the New Year, I bet you'll be _

Her glare could've burnt holes through the wrapping. The whole of the station's security team would have seen that - she'd kill Kya next time she saw her.

Sighing, Lin began to carefully rip the packaging, until 'The Homeowner's Cook Book' fell onto her lap. She looked through it inauspiciously, trying to find the simplest recipe she could. Truth be told she was a terrible cook, but if Kya wanted food poisoning that was her choice. The policewoman thumbed the corner of the pages, stopping at the simplest set of instructions in the book. Kya would probably turn-up whether she protested or not, and it probably wouldn't be the end of the world if she stopped relying so excessively on the station's canteen food.

She scanned the page - it didn't seem _too _complicated. She'd have to get acquainted with her stove, but worse things had happened, and none of the ingredients looked that difficult to source. (Well, she assumed they wouldn't be too difficult to find, although given that she hadn't actually shopped at the market since becoming Chief it was more estimation than fact.) It did require a little bit of time to cook through, but she could fill that up easily. How far away was New Year? Two, three months? That was ample time to get at least one recipe under her belt, surely? Lin re-read the page, and nodded to herself. Yes, she could learn to cook this. No problem.

* * *

><p>"Yes- yes thank you Katara, it's lovely to hear from you too. Yes, I- yes I know, I-"<p>

Lin quietly drummed her fingers on the corner of the telephone box as she shifted the receiver from one ear to the other. She'd rung the water tribe's one telephone to try and figure out when exactly Kya would be arriving, only to be received by the over-zealous Katara, who was now trying to make up for over six month's lack of contact in the space of five minutes. It was testing Lin's patience; especially as she had put the mushrooms on about fifteen minutes ago, and the rice was just gaining heat. Trial and error had taught her that, despite The Homeowner's Cook Book insisting that they should cook for the same period of time, they actually needed to be fried for about ten minutes more than the rice. Of course, this meant that the mushrooms were currently running the risk of being hideously over-cooked, especially considering that towards the end they had the habit of soaking up all the butter and sticking to the pan if she didn't stir them. The rice, she had realised after staining the hob of her stove at least three times, needed to simmer, not boil per the books instructions, otherwise they spilled over the edge of the pan entirely.

"Yes, Katara, actually I was-," she huffed and tried a little more forcefully. "I needed to speak to Kya actually, is she there? Okay- th- yes that's great."

Lin gave a grateful sigh as Katara's voice disappeared off the end of the phone- Kya was 'just upstairs'. Not that Lin had ever thought igloo's had upstairs, but there was no end to the technological marvels that society was producing these days. She glanced back in the direction of the kitchen. Perhaps having the telephone installed in her hallway wasn't the best of ideas. It was awful to try and take notes against the wall, not to mention she couldn't see a clock from here so-

"Kya! Yes- Hello- Yes, it was lovely talking to your mother. Look I was just wondering when you were coming for New Years?"

Kya quipped her surprise down the phone.

"Oh. I didn't realise you would be so surprised," said Lin dryly, struck with the sudden horror that she had probably been under no obligation to receive Kya whatsoever.

"No, I'm not sure what I'm making yet- Well, I wouldn't have rung at all unless I thought you were expecting me- No, no it's okay I'm, uh, I'm looking forward to it too. Look- yes- yes, I would expect no less- look, just tell me when you're in Republic City- What do you mean you don't know?- Oh for Spirits' sake Kya you must know when you're going to be here- What's 'maybe around the 25th' suppose to mean- Look Kya, I can only take a certain number of days off a yea - Yes, yes I know it wouldn't be a whole day but - You must know when you're leaving at lea- Shit!" Her face contorted as she saw a thin stream of smoke filtering in through the kitchen. "What- No, I'm fine, I'm fine- look, I'll decide. I'll take the 3rd off, and then you'll definitely be down here- Good. Right- no I'm fine- just- I've got to go okay? I'll see you then."

She slammed the receiver down and sprinted into the kitchen. She turned the stove off, the now dripped water from the rice pan scalding her fingers as she did so, and threw open her shutters to survey the damage once the smoke wafted away. The rice had bubbled over the stove and was currently dripping down the front of the oven, and the mushrooms were singed beyond recognition. Lin shook her burnt fingers and sighed - this was her fifth attempt. Maybe she could just get someone else to cook for her, and then, leave the food? Kya wouldn't have to know, and there must be someone in the canteen kitchen who was scared enough of her to work during the holidays?

No. She shook the thought off abruptly. It would be wrong of her to drag the canteen staff in for her own purposes, especially considering they were the only station employees who had no means of requesting days off. Besides, Lin thought, shoving her burnt hand under the cold water tap, the less people who knew about this the better. How could she have been so stupid as to think Kya would actually enforce the visit? Trust Lin to miss the joke - that was the story of her whole rotten life. The policewoman bit her lip as the cold water hit her skin. Fine, whatever. She'd made a decision, and now she'd have to stick with it. Her gaze rested upon the demolished cooker. Three weeks. Three weeks until Kya arrived and she'd have this recipe sorted.

* * *

><p>Lin nearly dropped the pan when she heard the doorbell ring.<p>

"I, uh, I'm just coming!"

She put the pan back on the stove and hastily flipped the mushrooms with the spatula. They were so, so, close to being perfect. But then this was the most delicate part of the process, she couldn't afford to take her eyes off them for a second, and the rice was simmering nicely, but again if she left it too long the water would run out and the rice would stick to the bottom of the pan. She turned the heat down on the rice as she fretted over the mushrooms. This time she'd nailed it; nothing had overflowed, nothing had burned, and the oil hadn't even spat at her. It was perfect.

The doorbell went again.

"Just a second!" barked Lin, her annoyance obvious this time. You know what, Kya could deal with undercooked food if she wasn't willing to wait- she'd probably be oblivious to all the effort Lin had put in anyway.

The policewoman turned the gas off and wiped her hands on her trousers- the grey darkened where her hands touched, as the oil from the cooking rubbed off. She sighed and walked through the hall, passing the telephone and arriving promptly at the threshold. Stowing herself, Lin put on her best 'I-don't-completely-hate-this-situation' face as she opened the door.

"Kya!" she said with forced cheerfulness.

"I don't know what you were playing at, making me wait outside in this blizzard," Kya chastised, lips in a pout. Lin dropped her faux-joy in a heartbeat.

"The mushrooms were still cooking, I didn't want to leave them," she said flatly, closing the door before the 'blizzard' had a chance to launch itself into her home.

"Riiiiight," cooed Kya as she shook the snow off her coat and hanged it on the stand behind the door. "Of course you didn't."

"What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing," she replied, following her host through the hall and into the kitchen. "Just that Tenzin told me you were a terrible cook."

Lin narrowed her eyes as they entered the kitchen, keeping her back to Kya as she turned her attention to the stove. Kya sat down in one of the two chairs at the kitchen table unprompted, and examined the cutlery Lin had already put out,

"Did he also tell you to write that note?" she asked as she scraped the mushrooms off the pan and onto the two plates she has set out.

"What? No, why would he?"

Lin slammed the pan into the sink, and then dragged the pot of rice over.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, tipping the pan of rice through the strainer, and then bashing the bottom of the pot repeatedly when some of the rice refused to budge.

"To prove that I couldn't cook? That I couldn't look after myself?" she continued, voice raised.

She emptied the strainer onto the two bowls she'd set out earlier, spilling some of the rice onto the sideboard. "To prove to you he was right to leave someone who was obviously not fit to live with?" She slammed the plate in front of Kya, who looked on, dumbfounded.

"Well," said Lin, pulling her own chair out and landing on it with force. "You can tell him this. I _can_ cook, I _can_ take care of myself _and_-" She lifted her chopsticks and pointed them in Kya's direction. "I would be _excellent_ to live with,"

"Sure," Kya stuttered, as Lin began to shovel the food into her mouth. "I'll, uh, I'll tell him."

"Good," replied Lin, with a mouth full of rice.

Kya began to pick at her food, neatly scooping the rice out of the bowl. Okay, so Tenzin was still definitely a subject to steer clear of - but at the fact Lin hadn't totally broken down did show progress was being made. And Lin had learned to cook, albeit basically, proving she was willing to listen to Kya's advice regarding her health beyond 'take an evening off'. Considering she had pushed even Katara away the one time she'd needed the healer's help following a particularly nasty run-in with a triple threat triad, that small fact was something to be marveled at alone. The water bender eyed Lin as she struggled to pick up a particularly fiddly mushroom. She'd actually been thinking about how to get Lin back on form since long before the policewoman had invited her for dinner - perhaps now, when Lin was cooling down from her latest huff, was the best time to bring it up?

"Lin?"

"Yes?"

"How many days off a year do you take?"

"Oh," Lin dropped the mushroom into her plate in surprise at this quaint attempt at polite conversation."Well, I get two weeks off a year as police chief."

"I see," said Kya, "And how many days a year off do you actually take?"

"Well so far," said Lin with a smirk, "One afternoon shift."

"Lin, you know that's not what I meant! I mean how many days do you take off on average?"

"My work keeps me very busy Kya, you know that. Hell, that's part of the reason Tenzin said we broke up."

"Mhm," Kya replied, glossing over the mention of her brother. "But how many days off do you normally take?"

"I don't know," said Lin, picking up the stray mushroom. "Enough."

"And you work on national holidays too I take it?"

"Of course. Look, what are you getting at?"

Kya pursued her lips- it was time to drop the master plan.

"I think you should go to a spa."

The fungi flew out of Lin's chopsticks and landed against the wall.

"What!?"

Kya shrugged.

"I think it would be good for you."

"Yes, because I absolutely adore being wrapped in kelp and shoved in a puddle of mud for three hours."

"Lin, that's not actually wha-"

"And besides," Lin continued, getting up to retrieve the mushroom, "Where on earth would I go? I certainly couldn't go to one of the spas in Republic City. No. Definitely not. It's a terrible suggestion I don't know why you brought it up."

"Well, there is a bathhouse quiet near to-"

"Kya I said no."

"Just hear me out, okay?"

Lin turned to put the mushroom in the bin, but said nothing.

"Good, thank you. It's a tiny little bathhouse, right on the borders of the Earth Kingdom, natural hot springs, veeery small, no one would know who you were, we certainly wouldn't run into anyone th-"

"We!? When on earth was there a 'we' involved!?"

"Well, I've got to make sure you actually go, don't I? It's the same with this," she gestured to the bowl in front of her. "It's one thing for you to tell me your eating, but there's no way of me actually knowing-"

"No! Definitely not! Even if they didn't know me," she continued in quieter tones, "they'd certainly know who you are, daughter of the almighty avatar."

Kya snorted, but did not fail to notice Lin had offered no word of protest against them travelling together.

"You'd be surprised."

"Right," replied Lin, lifting her own bowl off the table and carrying it to the sink. "And even if I did, for some unknown reason, think this was a good idea, how would we pay for it, hmm? You can't honestly expect me to believe _you _have any money."

"The owners owe me a favour," Kya said nonchalantly."And besides," she continued, leaning forward in a taunt, "You can't expect me to believe _you_ spend all your money on rice."

Lin grunted and ran the tap, grabbing the dishcloth and beginning to scrub at the pans already in the sink.

"I could do that," the water bender offered cheerfully, after a moment of silence while Lin contemplated her options.

"No, no," Lin replied, "You're just fine; you leave your bowl right there I don't mind at all."

Kya picked up her bowl and carried it to the sink.

"Are you angry at me Lin?"

Lin gave her a seething sideways glance.

"Oh, for Spirits' sake, I only mentioned the hot springs. It's not like I asked you to go penguin sledding."

The policewoman grunted as she snatched Kya's bowl from her hands.

"I _am_ a healer you know- this is advice from a medical professional. I'm concerned that if you keep on like this, you won't be able to perform to your best. You won't be able to serve this city as well as you could."

Lin flinched, and the water bender swallowed a smile, trying to hide her glee at having found a weak point in Lin's armour.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hi guys, I'm a little new this, so forgive me if my etiquette isn't up to scratch. This chapter is more of a conglomeration of ideas than one full piece, so um, it may seem little bit disjointed for that reason. Also, if you see any spelling mistakes please let me know and I will correct them! (I also feel I should point out I'm English so 'armour' does not count as a spelling mistake to me.) Other than that, enjoy, and um, I hope you stick around for the next chapter?


	2. Chapter 2

Lin Beifong walked up and down the line of officers in front of her, pausing every now and then to scrutinise the quality of their demeanour. It was still dark outside, the sun not yet willing to climb beyond the horizon, and as a result the group of men were forced to line-up in Lin's office like school children, while she paced around them, hands behind her back, face set hard.

"Now," she began, stopping in front of the row of five to face them. "I know it's early, and I know last night's debriefing ran over, but this not something I can afford to take any chances on, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Chief!" they chanted in unison.

"Good. Now, as stated before, Saikhan will be Acting-Chief until I return. The Guan-Ji Triad are not, under any circumstances, to be let out of surveillance- and I want the guards on their cells doubled. I know we managed to take out Zai, but I refuse to believe that the other two won't make a move before the trial."

She sucked in a breath. The memory of gang leader's death was fresh in her mind, and even with the healers stitching her back together, a layer of thick bruising remained, extending along her left side from her knees to the base of her neck. Not only that, but, despite the work of the medics, there was still a faint purple hue remaining from where she'd been hit in the jaw, although admittedly her scabbed lip was more due to her own inability to stop picking it than any failing on a healer's part. Admittedly, she could have taken another week off and let them work on the soft tissue as well as the bone and whatever internal nightmares her body had gone through, but there had been others who needed their attentions more, and Lin certainly wasn't going to waste anyone's time for the sake of her vanity. She could deal a few bruises for goodness' sake.

The manhunt for the Guan-Ji Triad had also already pushed the dates for her days off back by a month and a half, and now she was sure they were safely removed as a public threat she intended to get her ridiculous 'holiday' out of the way as soon as possible. That, and she was eager to hand the report sheets of this latest tussle to someone else. Besides, leaving it any later would mean travelling in near winter, and given that the hot springs were close enough to the South Pole for Kya to be able to ferry herself to them, she wasn't willing to take any chances. The former had taken all of to-ing and fro-ing far better than Lin herself, and for once the policewoman was grateful for Kya's otherwise totally obnoxious carefree attitude.

"Now, I'm returning late tomorrow night, and I _will _be checking in on the station the second I set foot in Republic City, is that clear?"

"Yes, Chief!"

"Right. Saikhan, this room is yours until I return."

He nodded appreciatively.

"The rest of you are permitted to return home until your shifts begin at seven. _Do not mess this up_," she threatened, before striding out of the room.

* * *

><p>She stared out the window glumly. The train had been almost two hours late due to a land slide blocking the tracks, and despite her best efforts, her 'Head of the Police Force Prestige' had done nothing to improve the situation. The train company's regulations were almost as tight as her own security, and no one was allowed onto the tracks without the correct level of clearance. Which was ridiculous- health and safety pushed to the point of insanity- and all Lin could do was sit idly by while two-bit earth benders took an hour to clear rocks she could have moved within minutes. Still, there was something suspicious about the way the station manager had shuddered when she introduced herself and demanded access to the tracks. Even after he showed her the papers, which were legitimate as far as she could tell, he had remained jumpy. Perhaps her reputation was getting a little out of hand? That or he had been hiding something- after all, Lin's knowledge of forgery techniques wasn't what it used to be, and a well crafted fake might have been able to slip past even her watchful eye. She made a mental note to have the Forgeries and Fraud Unit give the place a once over when she got back.<p>

Giving a sigh and turning away from the window, she extended her arms as she began wriggling out of her armour. The train was well clear of the city by now, and she was keen to develop at least some level ambiguity. Of course, her habit of wearing the uniform persistently would be revived as soon as she began the return journey, but to be identified as 'Toph Beifong's daughter' everywhere she went as a less than pleasing thought. Living in the shadow of her mother's image was unavoidable within city limits, but the constant burden of unmatched expectations was not something worth carrying voluntarily.

She concentrated as she folded the armour, trying not to bend it to the point of no return while simultaneously avoiding making it obvious that she was concealing a full chest plate and gauntlets in her rucksack. No one had yet sat in the compartment with her, and she'd fended off any would-be travelling associates with the hardest glare she could muster. This meant she was safe to keep her rucksack next to her, and she opened it now, placing the deformed uniform carefully within. Rummaging about inside, she pulled out a large grey bundle and unravelled it, unfurling a long coat. The fabric itself was relatively light, the autumn air not quite warranting her favoured full-length military get-up, but still far too cold for her tank top alone. Lin stood up as she struggled into it, not bothering to do up the wrap-around tie at the front, and sat back down with the material hanging under the bench beneath her.

Her stop was the very last on the track, and the trip involved a painful six hours journey across the full length of the Earth Kingdom's Western Coast. If the train had left on time in the morning, she would have reached the station and met-up with Kya just after midday, and they would have reached the hot springs together by five o'clock at the latest. As it was, Lin probably wouldn't reach her and Kya's meeting point until well into the afternoon, and then, what with the three hour hike she had been promised, they probably wouldn't arrive at the springs until evening. That was if Kya bothered waiting around for her at all. Regardless, it was swiftly becoming evident she'd be spending more time on the train than she would at the springs. At least she was catching the afternoon train tomorrow- that would give her the opportunity to survey the station in the wee hours of the morning, before the higher ranking officers would have a chance to polish it up for inspection.

She sighed, and rested her head against the back of the bench, closing her eyes as she steeled herself for the journey ahead.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me miss, this is the last stop."<p>

Her eyes fluttered open, as she took a moment to catch onto her surroundings. Lin rolled her head forward and scratched at her jaw, wincing when her fingers passed over the bruise, and scowled up at the boy smiling meekly at her. For a brief moment she debated whether she should grateful or angry he'd woke her up, and she pursed her lips in deliberation.

"Thank you," she finally muttered, before hauling herself off the seat and trudging out of the carriage, rucksack slung over her shoulder. There was no way of knowing if Kya was still even there. The water bender had travelled alone from the South Pole, before catching a bus inland to meet Lin at the station, but the metal bender had no way of knowing if her self-appointed personal medic had stomached the two hour wait for Lin's arrival. As she stepped onto the platform she threw a glance at the large station clock. Three in the afternoon- they could make the hot springs by six if they hurried.

Lin scoped out the station as she moved away from the train, scouring for anywhere that might attract someone of Kya's ilk. Not that there was much- the small rural station had nothing but toilets and a café. She marched off the platform to relieve herself in the single stall bathroom, and upon her return heard the sound of Kya's loud laughter echoing throughout the station. She followed the sound of the voice, and ended up just outside the station entrance, where Kya was sitting with a couple on a bench.

"Oh, Lin!" exclaimed Kya when she saw her coming. "The station master told me what had happened, how was it?"

"How do you think it was?" Lin replied sourly.

"Aw, well I'm glad you're here now. Say," she said, turning to the lady sitting next to her. "Doesn't this mean your Lee should be arriving sometime now?"

"Yes," the women replied. "I'm surprised he's not here already actually. You don't suppose anything happened to him, do you Jin?"

"No," responded the man. "I'm sure he's fine dear." He patted her hand affectionately, and Lin frowned.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Kya began, "Lin, this is Jin and Sapphire. Jin, Sapphire, this is Lin, she's accompanying me to the hot springs."

"Nice to meet you," Lin grunted, not waiting for a reply. "Kya, we should really be going."

"As you can tell, my friend her is a little tired from her trip," the water bender giggled to her new-found friends as Lin narrowed her eyes.

"Don't worry about it," said Sapphire, waving her hand, "Our Lee's just the same. In fact, I wasn't sure if I should- Lee!"

A teenage boy with scruffy hair suddenly came bounding towards them. He started into a run, ready to launch himself into his mother's lap, before spying Kya and Lin and slowing down to a cool walk. He sauntered up to them.

"Hey Mum," he said nonchalantly.

"I'll leave you three to it," said Kya with a grin, as she stood up to smooth down her clothes. She lifted her rucksack off the floor where she'd placed it next to the bench, and began to walk away.

"It was lovely talking to you!" exclaimed Sapphire, and Kya shouted back a return compliment, while Lin threw a quick wave over her shoulder, scurrying after her travelling companion.

* * *

><p>"It's not that much farther now!"<p>

Lin shifted her weight as Kya pushed on up the hill in front of her, her excess of luggage bulging out behind her. The back pack was at least twice the size of Lin's, with all manner of charms and flowers and goodness knew what else dangling off the straps. It was also full to bursting- the zips were clearly straining as they walked and it was a miracle they hadn't completely broken by now. She had questioned Kya about it when they'd first began the hike two hours earlier, but Kya had brushed it off with something about auras and remedies and 'you-never-know -when-you -might-need's, so Lin had swiftly shut up about the topic.

"You said it wouldn't be much further half an hour ago!" she replied, bending the rocks beneath her to give herself a better grip. The police woman had pointed out to Kya that she could have launched them pretty much all the way up the mountain, but to her amazement Kya had refused. Seeing the thickening vegetation and crumbling earth that was under her feet as she ascended, she realised now that Kya may have had a point. It was like a jungle towards the top of the mountain, and while Kya was grabbing onto branches and roots and to haul herself forward, Lin was constantly shifting the earth beneath her in order to keep up with her surprisingly nimble travelling companion.

"Well, if it wasn't much further then, it definitely won't be that far now, will it?"

Lin swore under her breath.

* * *

><p>They didn't reach the hot springs until gone dark, and Lin had made an incredible fuss about getting something to eat. She was, in her own words, 'not nice when she was hungry'. Kya had pointed out that she rarely fell under the bracket of 'nice' regardless of the circumstances, and Lin had bit back a retort for want of proving the water bender right. The couple who owned the springs had actually been very accommodating to mismatched travellers, setting Lin and Kya up in a room just next to the springs. Only four others were staying there at the moment- a family of three and hiker who was making her way to the mountain's peak. The family were staying for a few days; the hiker would likely be gone in the morning.<p>

This was all relayed to Lin and Kya as they sat with the couple over dinner, a simple but nevertheless appreciated selection of rice and fish. The rivers up here were apparently teeming, although it was hard to send things up and down the mountain, so the pair rarely ended up selling any of the fish the caught. Lin had sat patiently as they continued to talk to Kya, before politely excusing herself when she had finished her food and thanking the couple as kindly as she could.

She exited the dining room to the sounds of rich conversation, and turned in the direction of her room. The entire complex was just one building, situated in a 'U' shape around the three hot springs, leaving little privacy for anyone who wished to bathe. As a result, Lin was forced to shuffle out onto the water's edge with a thick towel wrapped under her armpits, as well as a smaller one around her shoulders, desperate to avoid drawing attention to any of the bruises. Her lips and jaw were yet to be mentioned by anybody , either out of politeness or genuine lack of interest, but the huge marks along her side would probably not go unnoticed.

To her relief the only person who had been present when she stepped out onto the concrete path surrounding the springs was the hiker, who was sat in the pool the furthest away. She waved lazily at Lin, who gave an embarrassed wave back before taking a tentative step into the pool closest to her, careful to avoid tripping over any of the numerous candles surrounding it. She left it as late as possible to unravel the towel concealing her bruises, because, while the grey swimsuit she was wearing did cover the upper parts of her thighs, there were still significant purple hues jutting out above and beneath it. The smaller towel she left until even later, until she was almost fully submerged and sitting on the stone seats than had been carved out under the water. Only when she felt the bottom of the towel soak in the water had she thought to remove it, throwing a cautious glance in the hiker's direction before doing so. It was placed next to its larger twin, and Lin turned to inspect the bruises on her arm and shoulder.

They certainly were very impressive, and she winced as she traced her fingers across them. The whole of her upper arm had broken apparently, and then her wrists had crumpled by the impact of her fall. Falling from what or where she had no idea- the force had allegedly knocked her out clean as well, and it had been the resulting fractured skull and internal bleeding in her brain from that had required medics' attention more than anything else. It dawned on her that, not for the first time, she owed the station healers her life. In many ways, she mulled, medics were far more important than the front line soldiers. After all, they were there to keep people alive; soldiers and fighters were just there to kill.

She sighed and leant back against the spring's rocky edge.

"Starting without me are you?"

Lin twisted round and flinched as a sharp pain shot through her back and neck. Kya frowned.

"Are you okay Lin?" she said, walking forward as she unravelled the towel around her waist.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed when she drew closer. "What the hell happened to you? I mean I saw your lip but I had no idea- was this why you kept your coat on during dinner?"

"It's uh-" the earth bender grappled with her words, as Kya folded the small towel neatly next to her own and gently lowered herself into the pool, her bikini far more fitting to the context of the situation than Lin's own one-piece.

"It's a long story," she eventually concluded.

"Doesn't matter," said Kya with a wave of her hands, before shuffling closer to inspect the damage. "Please don't tell me you refused treatment for this?"

"It was much worse before the medics looked at it," she began defensively, "And once they'd fixed me up there were others with far worse injuries to tend to."

Kya frowned, unconvinced.

"But these bruises are at least three days old. You can't tell me they were still tending to the nearly dead when you got on that train, not unless the whole of Republic City is at war."

Lin pursed her lips, but made no reply.

"I see," said Kya. "Well then, while we're here, I may as well stitch you up."

"Kya that's really not- "

"Nonsense," said Kya dismissively, "Now just stay still, this might take a while."

Once again Lin bit back a retort, struggling to find any excuse against Kya's intervention, other than her own pride and stubborn self-reliance. It was with some difficulty that she resisted the urge to fidget, as Kya passed the still warm water over her shoulder, having brought a small blob out the hot springs. She watched the water bender bite her tongue in concentration, but did not contort herself so as to look at the work Kya was doing. In truth, it actually scared Lin whenever she had to receive the attention of medics- the way they could contort her own flesh and blood against her will, forcing her body into a state it had no means of moving to naturally. It was unnerving. That's not to say it didn't feel nice- especially under these circumstances. She sighed deeply as Kya moved the water around; working out every knot and kink that had accumulated in her back since the attack, and it was all the policewoman could do to not sag and let her muscles go limp completely.

They both looked up at a splash from the other side of the springs, and Kya let the water drop as she lost concentration. The hiker gave them a small nod before scooping up her towels and retreating back inside via the hot spring entrance.

"Good, she's gone, lift up your arm."

"What?"

"Look, I know the bruising extends all the way down, I'm not stupid and this water is hardly opaque. Now lift up your arm so I can get to your ribs as well."

Lin grudgingly did as she was told, and watched in amazement as the whole pool began to glow, Kya not bothering to remove a single amount to work with. The earth bender felt a soft pressure against her ribs, as the water pressed along her sides. This was decidedly less comfortable than before, but after five or so minutes it was certainly getting the job done, and she prodded at her side with her free hand, to see if her ribs were still aching on contact.

"Stop touching," said Kya as she batted Lin's hand away. "I'm not finished yet anyway."

She shuffled a little further away from as the pool dropped its glow, and then extended her reach below the water.

"Now, is it just your thigh that turned purple or do I need to start concentrating on the whole of your leg?"

"Uh, just my thigh."

"Good. By the way, you can lower your arm now as well."

"Right."

Lin chastised herself for so blindly following orders like a child, but as she felt the pressure on her leg, the earth bender wriggled comfortably in her seat. Kya paid her no attention whatsoever, focused as she was on manipulating the water they were sitting in, and after a few moments the pool picked up the same faint glow once more.

Eventually, she let her arms fall to her sides and the water returned to normal.

"How do you feel?" she inquired.

"Better," Lin replied curtly, as she wrestled back into her usual persona.

"Do you want me to work on your face as well? I mean the bruising doesn't look so bad there-"

"It's fine."

"Right. Okay."

After a short period of Lin staring angrily into the pool and Kya absent-mindedly sloshing the water beneath her fingers, the latter raised her voice.

"I believe the words you're looking for here are: 'Thank you Kya for being such an amazing healer and helping me even though I was too full of stubborn pride to let anyone do it willingly, because I'm really obnoxious and ridiculous like that.'"

Lin glowered at her.

"Thank you."

"Good," said Kya brightly, "That's a start."

* * *

><p>Lin ended up going to bed long before Kya, who was hijacked at the hot springs by one of the complexes' owners, and subsequently ended up deep in conversation until the wee hours. The earth bender had felt decidedly awkward and had left soon after the proprietor joined them, Kya throwing her the most cursive of waves as she disappeared inside. She'd changed alone, wary of the thin walls between the rooms, and sighed as she stared over at the empty bed. It was bad enough that Kya expected her to enjoy this totally unnecessary jaunt into the wilderness, but to have her supposed 'guide' run off and befriend every individual they saw was just frustrating- after all, wasn't this supposed to be <em>her<em> recovery trip?

The metal bender gave another deep sigh as she wriggled under the sheets, grateful to get out of the autumn chill that had developed while she was in the hot spring. She'd actually run into the family who were staying there while in the communal bathroom as she been brushing her teeth, and had bobbed her head at the parents awkwardly while they wrestled with their son to get him to wash his face. The minimal reply she received had caused her to leave pretty quickly, but It had not escaped her notice that the bathroom seemed to be the only place in the whole of the building with running water, and even then it was a question of filling up a bucket of water and tossing it down the toilets as a rudimental form of flushing. For someone who had spent her whole life in the city, this kind of hippy ruralism made her more than a little uncomfortable. She rolled over against the light that was seeping under the door from the candles which lined the hallway. No, a place that still relied on candle light and water from a well was definitely not for her. She shut her eyes a buried herself deeper under the sheets. Kya had better be quiet when she got in; if Lin's sleep was interrupted she refused to be held accountable for her actions.

* * *

><p>As it was, not only had Kya had sneaked in silently, but she'd also woken up before Lin. When the latter opened her eyes the following morning the first thing she was Kya lying on her bed fully dressed, ruffling through a leaflet presumably given to her by one of the spring's owners.<p>

"What time is it?" Lin asked, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Around ten I think?" replied Kya, not looking up from the page. "I'm not really sure."

"Ten!?"

Lin sat bolt upright.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, no, I just-" Lin broke off mid-sentence, fearing 'I normally get up at five' would sound as pretentious in reality as it did in her head. "I normally get up earlier."

She stood up at the lack of Kya's reply, and searched in her rucksack for a fresh change of clothes, before slinging them over her shoulder. The hems of her pyjama trousers dragged along the floor as she trudged towards the door.

"I'm going to get changed and then we can go. I need to be back at the station by two."

"Yeah, me too," said Kya as she finally glanced up from the page. "At least I think that's when the train to Republic City leaves."

She waved the brochure in Lin's direction, revealing it to be a list of time tables from the station.

"You know this thing doesn't make any sense to me at all."

Lin froze, and gripping the handle of the door for dear life.

"I didn't know you were going to Republic City..."

"Yes! Well Jinora turns one in a few days, so I thought I'd drop by and give her the present I found for her at home."

Of course. Of course it was Jinora's birthday. How could Lin forget? No wonder the water bender had been so free and easy with the change of plans. That explained why she'd brought so much luggage with her too, even though she'd said-

"You lied about your luggage!" Lin suddenly hurled at her.

"No I didn't!" said Kya, sitting up to match Lin's thorniness. "I told you exactly what was in there, minus one or two changes of clothes."

The metal bender scowled as she opened the door.

"Oh Lin, what on earth's upset you now? Jinora's my niece; of course I'm going to visit her."

"Whatever. I'm going to change, we can leave when I'm done."

"Don't you want some breakfast?" Kya asked as Lin stepped into the hallway.

"I've got beef jerky in my bag," she replied dryly as the door shut, "I'll eat it on the way."


End file.
